Chapter 1: Promises in the Dark 

Rhiannon's POV

The cabin smelled like pine and sin.

Darius's mouth was on my neck, hot and demanding. His hands gripped my waist, fingers digging into bare skin as he pressed me against the rough wooden wall. I gasped, arching into him, my fingers tangling in his dark hair.

"Say it again," he growled against my throat.

"Yours." The word came out breathless. Desperate. "I'm yours."

His teeth grazed my pulse point, and I shuddered. Six months of this. Six months of stolen nights in this forgotten cabin at the edge of pack territory. Six months of learning every inch of him, of memorizing the way he said my name like a prayer.

"Rhia." He pulled back just enough to look at me, his storm-gray eyes molten. "You're so beautiful."

Heat flooded my cheeks. I wasn't beautiful—not like the pack's daughters with their perfect hair and designer clothes. I was the wolfless orphan who scrubbed floors and didn't belong.

But when Darius looked at me like this, I believed it.

His lips crashed into mine, swallowing whatever protest I might have made. The kiss was rough, claiming, his tongue sliding against mine in a way that made my knees weak. I clung to his shoulders as he lifted me effortlessly, my legs wrapping around his waist.

"Bed," I managed between kisses.

"Too far." His voice was gravel and smoke. He carried me three steps and laid me down on the fur rug near the fireplace. The flames cast golden light across his face as he hovered over me, his weight a delicious pressure.

"Darius—"

"Let me worship you." His hands slid under my thin dress, pushing it up slowly. Torturously. "Let me show you what you mean to me."

I couldn't speak. Could only nod as he peeled the fabric away, leaving me bare beneath him. His gaze raked over me, dark and hungry, and I should have felt exposed. Vulnerable.

Instead, I felt powerful.

"Perfect," he murmured, lowering his head to press kisses along my collarbone. "You're absolutely perfect."

His mouth trailed lower. I gasped, my back arching off the rug as pleasure sparked through me. His hands mapped every curve, every dip, like he was trying to memorize me. And maybe he was. Maybe we both were—clinging to these moments before reality crashed back in.

"Tell me you love me," I whispered.

He looked up, his eyes locking with mine. "I love you, Rhiannon Ashwood. More than anything in this world."

The words settled in my chest, warm and safe.

He moved over me then, his body aligning with mine. The world narrowed to his touch, his breath, the way he whispered my name like it was the only word that mattered. We came together slowly, carefully, his forehead pressed to mine as we moved in perfect rhythm.

It wasn't just physical. It was a promise. A bond deeper than words.

When we finally broke apart, gasping and tangled together on the rug, he pulled me against his chest. His heartbeat was steady beneath my ear, a grounding rhythm.

"Tomorrow," he said softly, his fingers tracing lazy circles on my shoulder.

I stiffened. "Tomorrow what?"

"Tomorrow I tell them." His voice was firm. Certain. "About us."

My heart stuttered. "Darius, the Alpha ceremony—"

"Is the perfect time." He tilted my chin up so I had to meet his eyes. "I'm taking the oath as Alpha. And right after, I'm announcing you as my chosen mate."

Chosen. Not fated. We didn't know yet—I was wolfless, and the mate bond wouldn't snap into place until my eighteenth birthday. But chosen was enough. It had to be.

"Your father will never allow it," I whispered. "I'm nobody. I have no wolf, no family, no—"

"You have me." His grip tightened. "And I don't care what he thinks. You're mine, Rhiannon. Nothing changes that."

I wanted to believe him. Wanted to sink into the safety of his words and never let go.

But something in his eyes flickered. Just for a second. Doubt? Fear?

"Promise me," I said, hating how small my voice sounded. "Promise you won't change your mind."

"I promise." He kissed my forehead, soft and reverent. "Tomorrow, the whole pack will know you're mine. No more hiding. No more secrets."

He held me tighter, and I closed my eyes, breathing him in.

Tomorrow, everything would change.

Tomorrow, I'd stand beside him as his mate.

Tomorrow, I'd finally belong.

I believed him.

Gods help me, I believed every word.